The Austin, TX-based Los Coast will release “A Change Is Gonna Come” featuring Gary Clark Jr. tomorrow. Their version of the iconic Sam Cooke song follows the psychedelic alt-soul outfit’s 2019 debut Samsara which Rolling Stone said “... nods to the funky 1970s, mixing the gospel influenced vocals of frontman Trey Privott with steady grooves, fat keyboard and clouds of reverb.” Building a grassroots buzz through their mesmerizing live performances supporting Gary Clark Jr., St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and more, NPR said, “... you might not be able to slap an evergreen label on their sound, but the five-piece will certainly get your heart rate up and set your booty for ‘shake’ in no time.” Blending a mix of genres that includes R&B, new wave, funk, and world music, Los Coast has created a sound that reflects their vast influences, weaving them into something uniquely their own.
Today, SPIN has premiered their take on “A Change Is Gonna Come,” featuring Gary Clark Jr., calling it "a moving and powerful spin on the 1964 Cooke classic." Speaking to SPIN, Los Coast frontman Trey Privott said, "We decided to do our version of this song last year. I think we’d come to a place where rather than writing a song, we wanted to pay tribute to the greats who’d come before us. My producer, Jacob Sciba, and I started working on some cover ideas. We thought 'let’s do Sam Cooke!' In my mind, he is one of the best singers in history, and I’d been singing his tunes since I was 16. I’d toured with Gary Clark Jr. earlier in the year, and we'd decided we wanted to work on something soon. Jacob hit him up to see if he wanted to get involved. He knocked it out of the park. After we finished, G played this benefit called 'Voices for Justice' with The Chicks. It was a benefit to help seek justice for people who’d been wrongly convicted of crimes that they didn’t commit. Afterwards, Gary told me a story about this man who called him from prison. The man said that he listened to 'A Change Is Gonna Come' everyday to maintain hope as he got through his term. There are people like this all over the United States in our prison system. That’s what the song is about. It’s a cry for equality in the justice system. It’s a plea for a fair shot at the American Dream." Hear Los Coast featuring. Gary Clark Jr.’s version of “A Change Is Gonna Come” HERE.
All proceeds from the release of “A Change Is Gonna Come” will benefit DAWA. From the organization’s website: DAWA is a safety net for people of color who are experiencing short term life crisis. More specifically, people of color who are: musicians, artists, social workers, teachers, healing practitioners, and service industry workers. These are the people who GIVE to others/serve day in and day out for a living, and are often at the highest risk for mental health crisis. In 2020, this client base will be able to apply for funds to help with emergency financial needs. For more information please visit the official DAWA website.
Los Coast's "A Change Is Gonna Come" featuring Gary Clark Jr. can be found HERE. Their debut album Samsara is available now from New West Records.
